The undisputed "Queen of Crime," Dame Agatha Christie (1890-1976) is the bestselling novelist of all time. As the creator of immortal detectives Hercule Poirot and Jane Marple, she continues to enthrall readers around the world and is drawing increasing attention from scholars, historians, and critics. But Christie wrote far beyond Poirot and Marple. A varied life including war work, archaeology, and two very different marriages provided the backdrop to a diverse body of work. This encyclopedic companion summarizes and explores Christie's entire literary output, including the detective fiction, plays, radio dramas, adaptations, and her little-studied non-crime writing. It details all published works and key themes and characters, as well as the people and places that inspired them, and identifies a trove of uncollected interviews, articles, and unpublished material, including details that have never appeared in print. For the casual reader looking for background information on their favorite mystery to the dedicated scholar tracking down elusive new angles, this companion will provide the most comprehensive and up-to-date information.

Dorothy L. Sayers was one of the "Queens of Crime." Alongside writers like Agatha Christie, she perfected the whodunnit, but also used the genre to explore social, ethical, and emotional matters. Her characters, particularly Lord Peter Wimsey and his investigative partner Harriet Vane, struggle with the complexities of life and love in a rapidly changing world while solving some of the most intricate and complex mysteries ever offered to the reading public. Sayers was also an important theoretician of detective fiction, a religious dramatist, a public intellectual, and one of the 20th century's most important translators of Dante. While focusing on her mystery fiction, this companion offers a full view of all aspects of Sayers's career. It is an ideal introduction for readers new to Sayers's diverse and rewarding body of work, and an invaluable companion for her many fans.

Sara Paretsky's groundbreaking mystery series about Chicago private investigator V.I. Warshawski debuted in 1982 and is still going strong. As co-founder of Sisters in Crime (a worldwide organization supporting women writers), as a sought-after public speaker and as 2015 president of the Mystery Writers of America, Paretsky continues to open doors for other authors. This book is the first comprehensive reference work on Paretsky, providing an overview of the Warshawski novels and short stories, her other novels, a volume of collected essays, her anthologies and journalism. Special attention is paid to the character of Warshawski-the tough, street-smart detective who challenges stereotypical representations of women in crime fiction-and to the significance of the Chicago setting she inhabits. Paretsky's pioneering work beyond the page is covered. A guide to the scholarly and critical debates is included, along with discussion of media adaptations and references to key websites.

This comprehensive guide to James Ellroy's work and life is arranged as an encyclopedia covering his entire career, from his first private-eye novel, Brown's Requiem, to his 2012 e-book Shakedown. It introduces new readers to his characters and plots, and provides experienced Ellroy fans and scholars with detailed analyses of the themes, motifs and stylistic innovations of his books. The work is a tour of Ellroy's dark underworld, highlighting the controversies and unsettling questions that characterise his work, as well as assessing Ellroy's place in the annals of American literature.

Scottish politician, statesman and thriller writer John Buchan was a prolific and popular author whose work examined the nature of good and evil and explored the shifting boundaries between civilization and anarchy. Buchan wrote the best-selling thriller ""The Thirty-Nine Steps"" in 1915, one of 40 novels of his long career, which also included 60 biography, history and other non-fiction books. This comprehensive companion to Buchan's mystery fiction includes entries on the characters, novels, short fiction, films, themes, and symbols that readers need to know. Special attention to the serialized secret agent Richard Hannay, Buchan's most famous character. Also included are photographs, book covers and character and title appendices.

Ian Rankin is considered by many to be Scotland's greatest living crime fiction author. Most well known for his Inspector Rebus series-which has earned critical acclaim as well as scores of fans worldwide-Rankin is a prolific author whose other works include spy thrillers, nonfiction books and articles, short stories, novels, graphic novels, audio recordings, television/film, and plays. This companion-the first to provide a complete look at all of his writings-includes alphabetized entries on Rankin's works, characters, and themes; a biography; a chronology; maps of Rebus' Edinburgh; and an annotated bibliography. A champion of both Edinburgh and Scotland, Rankin continues to combine engaging entertainment with socio-political commentary showing Edinburgh as a microcosm of Scotland, and Scotland as a microcosm of the world. His writing investigates questions of Scottish identity, British history, masculinity, and contemporary culture while providing mystery readers with complex, suspenseful plots, realistic character development, and a unique mix of American hard-boiled and procedural styles with Scottish dialects and sensibilities.

One of the most prolific crime writers of the last century, Evan Hunter published more than 120 novels from 1952 to 2005 under a variety of pseudonymns. He also wrote several teleplays and screenplays, including Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds, and the 1954 novel The Blackboard Jungle. When the Mystery Writers of America named Hunter a Grand Master, he gave the designation to his alter ego, Evan McBain, best known for his long-running police procedural series about the detectives of the 87th Precinct. This comprehensive companion provides detailed information about all of Evan Hunter's/Ed McBain's works, characters, and recurring themes. From police detective and crime stories to dramatic novels and films, this reference celebrates the vast body of literature of this versatile writer.

Considered one of the "Queens of Crime" - along with such greats as Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers and Margery Allingham - Ngaio Marsh (1895-1982) was a gifted writer and a celebrated author of classic British detective fiction, as well as a successful theatre director. Best known for the 32 detective novels she published between 1934 and 1982, she received the Order of the British Empire in 1948 and was made a Dame of the British Empire (DBE) in 1966. Based on years of original research by the curator of the Ngaio Marsh House in Christchurch, New Zealand, this book explores the fascinating literary world of Dame Ngaio.

When her stepfather dies, Miss Lois Cayley finds herself alone in the world with only twopence in her pocket. Undaunted, the intelligent, attractive, and infinitely resourceful young woman decides to set off in search of adventure. Her travels take her from London to Germany, Italy, Egypt, and India, as she faces various challenges and meets an assortment of eccentric characters. But when her true love, Harold Tillington, finds himself accused of forging a will and faces prison, Miss Cayley will need all her ingenuity to investigate the case, solve the mystery, and save Harold from the diabolical plot

One of the first novels to feature a female detective, Grant Allen's "Miss Cayley's Adventures" (1899) remains as witty, enjoyable, and engaging today as when first published. This edition includes a new introduction by Elizabeth Foxwell.

"Scholars might be loath to hear this, but, popular culture being the continuum that it is, "Miss Cayley's Adventures" can be seen as a superior example of the chick lit of its era. Its heroine remains to this day as appealing and amusing as any Bridget Jones, and her exploits are filled with moments of wit, action, and sheer fun."- Michele Slung, editor, "Crime on her Mind: Fifteen Stories of Female Sleuths from the Victorian Era to the Forties"

"Grant Allen's entertaining Miss Cayley is as lively now as when she first appeared in the "Strand" in 1898. The reprinting of "Miss Cayley's Adventures" is sure to please readers who admire active and clever women protagonists. Sheer fun." - Carolyn Hart, author of "Death Walked In"

"Mystery readers will be swept away by the adventures of Grant Allen's almost forgotten female sleuth, Miss Cayley. With her unique, independent, and most 'unladylike' behavior, the intelligent Miss Cayley plays an important role in the long line of distaff detectives. A must for mystery readers and academics." - Janet Rudolph, editor, "Mystery Readers Journal"